Cotton-gin



(No Model.)

J. KOPFLER.

COTTON GIN.

N0, 247,927. Patented Oct-4,1881.

Fly. 1.

ITNEssBs ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH KOPFLER, OF AMITE CITY, LOUISIANA.

COTTON-GIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 247,927, dated October 4, 1881.

Application filed July 6, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH KOPFLER, of Amite City, of Tangipahoa parish,and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful LII Improvement in Cotton-Grins; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings,forming part ofthis specification,in which- Figure l is a top view of my improved cotton-gin, with a portion of the brush-cylinder broken away. Fig. 2 is an end elevation, and Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are detail views.

My invention relates to improvements in cotton-gins; and it consists, first, in the peculiar construction of an open concave lying under the brush-cylinder and in combination therewith, whichopen concave is composedof a series of curved bars arranged transversely in the frame, the planes of the bars being set at an angle and inclined rearwardly with their ends highest, to cause the cotton to drift to ward the middle of the machine. The cotton is carried over the rearwardly-inclined bars of the open concave, each inclined bar forming an air-eddy in the blast generated by the revolution of the brush-cylinder immediately behind the bar and carrying 0d the dirt.

My invention further consists in imparting a revolving motion to the brush-cylinder by means of a beveled friction-pulley on the shaft of the gin-saws bearing against a beveled friction-pulley on the shaft of the brush-cylinder, the pressure of one friction pulley against the other being regulated or adjusted by means of a coiled spring, set-screw, and friction-plates, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanyin g drawings, a represents the frame of my improved cotton-gin,in which isjournaled the saw-shaft b and the shaft 0 of the brush-cylinder of the usual construction.

(I and 6 represent transverse bars, secured to the inner faces of the sides of the frame.

'To the upper face of the transverse bar dis secured a metallicplate, f.

ggare brackets, provided with curved flanges h having transverse slots, which brackets are secured to the inner faces of the sides of the gin-frame, between the transverse bars 01 c, and opposite each other.

(No model.)

i i represent curved supports, having transtransverse bar 6 at its opposite end.

is L represent the bars of the open concave. Each bar is arranged in the opposite series of slots in the flanges of the brackets and in the opposite slots in the curved supports i i. The open concave forms an ogee in cross-section. The bars 7c of'the open concave are so arranged in'the slots in the brackets and supports that they are not exactly parallel, but form curves, and the bars are higher at their ends than in the middle,'so as to cause the cotton to drift toward the middle of the-machine. The bars k k of the open concave are inclined rearwardly, as shown in the drawings, to allow the brush-cylinder to carry the cotton over them without being driven down between them. By reason of the inclination of the bars k 70 an air-eddy will be formed immediately in rear of each bar when the brushcylinder is revolved, which eddy will carry the dirt from the cotton into the space below the concave, the cotton passing through the flues Z l.

m represents a friction-pulley fast on one end of the saw-shaft and beveled inwardly on its periphery. The beveled friction-pulley m is arranged to bear against a friction-pulley, n, beveled reversely to the friction-pulley m and secured to one end of the shaft of the brush-cylinder, so that in the revolution of the saw-cylinder, operated by suitable mechanism, the brush-cylinder will be driven by the friction-pulley in bearing against the friction-pulley it.

To vary or regulate the amountof pressure, and in consequence the friction between the pulleys, I have devised means as follows:

0 represents a socket secured to the end journal-bearing of the shaft of the brush-cylder opposite the friction-pulley n.

10 represents a coiled spring inserted in the socket 0, one end of which bears against a friction-plate, q, resting against the end of the shaft of the brush-cylinder. The opposite end screwing in or out the set-screw the pressure of the friction-pulleys against each other may be adjusted or regulated as desired.

I am aware that friction-gearing has heretofore been employed in saw-gins and elsewhere, and I therefore lay no claim, broadly to the employment of friction-gearing, irrespective of the particular means I employ to vary the friction as desired.

I claim as my invention 1. In a cotton-gin, the combination, with the brush-cylinder, of the open concave composed of the transverse bars d e, slotted supportsg i, and curved and rearwardly-inclined bars 7; 7a, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

JOSEPH KOPFLER.

\Vitnesses:

ANDREW B. FLoWERs, A. A. GULLETT. 

